Restoring Donbas: main events during the 15-21 June

20:23 / 22 Jun. 2015 / 298

New temporary procedure of crossing the border of ATO area came into force last week in Donbas. According to the modifications, any cargo or regular passenger transportation to the uncontrolled territory are prohibited. In addition, due to the aggravated military confrontation in Donbas, the flow of displaced persons from the region has increased again. Nowadays, the total number of registered internally displaced persons in Ukraine has reached 1.34 million people. More details in our weekly review of key news.

Modifications in pass-entry system

Last week a new temporary procedure of the control over transportation of people, vehicles and cargoes along the demarcation line within the Donetsk and Luhansk regions came into force.

It was noted that the agenda included about four dozen amendments, which “will simplify the system for obtaining passes to cross the demarcation line.” In particular, paper passes for crossing the boundary line in ATO area were canceled.

“Refusal of paper passes guarantee that no official could preying on ordinary people. It is enough to send the information via e-mail, to receive confirmation of the processing and message about resolution. Under these conditions, the citizen should have an identity document and no extra papers – all for free, “- said the press-service of Security Service of Ukraine.

In addition, it was reported that online resource devoted to the formalization of passes would be launched in the nearest future. It was stated by Elena Gitlyanskaya, the press secretary of the Security Service of Ukraine, during a briefing.

However, in fact, the situation with the new rules of the pass-entry system was not such unambiguous. It has already caused sharp criticism from the public community. According to the new procedure of passing the demarcation line, it is prohibited for any public passenger transport to move in/out. The ban does not affect occasional transport for certain organized groups (refugees, children for rehabilitation and recreation, etc.), with permission of the Coordinating Center at the ATO. Moreover, according to the procedure, control and inspection of individual transport are intensified.

President of Ukraine also insists on the strengthening of control. Poroshenko offered to confiscate goods, which were imported to ATO zone with violations. The President has introduced a draft law to the parliament. It suggests to add provisions about the procedure of good’s transportation to/ from ATO area.

June 18, after the publication of the new procedure of passing the demarcation line, ATO forces have blocked all the exits for buses from DNR. It was confirmed in the “Ministry of Transport of the DNR.” Traffic bus services to Mariupol, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk areas were blocked. Individual vehicles were allowed to drivers, who have Ukrainian registration.

However, transporters have found a new way from Donetsk to Kiev. There is a bus trip from Donetsk through Rostov-on-Don for passengers, who do not have passes to move through the Ukrainian checkpoints. The same way is from Kiev to Donetsk. From 18 June, it is possible to book this trip. First requests have been already received.

The situation on the territories under Ukrainian control

Meanwhile, Pavel Zhebrivskyi is the new chairman of the civil military State Administration in the Donetsk region (under Ukrainian control). He named his main goals at one of the first meetings. According to him, the primary aim is “law and order on the territory of Donetsk region”. “Law enforcement agencies have to work as it is provided by law”, – he said.

Zhebrivskyi stated that his second goal is an economic growth and simplifying the conditions for business. “I am not interested in suffocation of any business. The first question that supervisory authorities should ask entrepreneur is “how can we help you”, – he added.

In addition, a working group of Ministry of Social Policy began its activity last week in Donetsk region. Pavlo Rozenko, Head of the Ministry of Social Policy, claimed that social assistance to the region is a foreground line of activity for the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine due to the difficult situation in Donbas. Among the priorities in the social field, Minister named payment of salaries, pensions and other social assistance in time, provision of humanitarian aid to the Donetsk residents and social protection for internally displaced persons.

Meanwhile, Gennady Moskal, governor of Luhansk region, encourages business, which have not moved from LNR the territories, to migrate. According to him, the benefit is not only lawful business in the legal field of a normal country. Moskal submitted a draft law, which fix that enterprises (which have moved) would be able to obtain significant tax benefits – exemption from income tax and exemption from value added tax.

The statement of Gennady Zubko, Deputy Prime Minister, about the election of the Chairman of the Agency for Restoring Donbas became an important news for the Donbas territory udder Ukrainian control. According to Zubko, the assignment should take place at the next meeting of the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, the process of restoring damaged objects in Donbas is still idle not only along the demarcation line, but also in the rear. Thus, according to media reports, the most ruined five-stored building in Slavyansk has not been restored. On the background of this house, high-ranking guests from Kiev, including the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, were interviewed after the liberation of the city. They promised to help whose people, who have remained homeless. Apartment owners have been living for a year anticipating the renovation. However, nothing was done except for temporary fence.

On the territory of the unrecognized republics

Last week, the Ukrainian side stated that it would not pay for supply of Russian electricity to the uncontrolled territories. It was announced by Yuri Kasich, Acting Director of “Ukrenergo, during the interview to “Interfax-Ukraine”. According to him, the Russian side has been notified in advance about Ukraine’s unwillingness to pay the balance of power flows between the energy systems of Ukraine and Russian Federation in five transmission lines, which are located on uncontrolled territories.

In addition, humanitarian aid from Paris arrived to Luhansk last week. It was delivered owing to Paris diocese, the French association of medical and social assistance of Russia, headed by Mrs. Helen Zhedilyagina, Estonian Association “Dobrosvet” and Russian Association “Veche”. Humanitarian aid – supplies, medical supplies and other related products for primary health care – were given to the representatives of medical institutions in the city.

Meanwhile, there are plethora problems with the health care on territories, which are beyond the Ukrainian control. The representatives of public organizations and international structures, which were gathered together, confirmed this fact at the roundtable “The right to health: how to ensure it”. It was organized by the community initiative “Restoring Donbas”. In particular, according to Irina Aheeva, the Director of Department of Policy and “All-Ukrainian Network of PLHIV” Communication, nowadays there is a serious threat of infection’s and epidemic’s outbreak.

Displaced persons from Donbas

Nowadays, only 170,000 IDPs from Donbas have been registered in local hospitals. On the assumption of the fact that the total number of displaced persons is more than 1.3 million people, 86% of IDPs are still without proper supervision of medical workers. It was claimed by Elena Petryaeva, the head of the initiative “Restoring Donbas” during a round table on June 18.

She also noted that nowadays in Ukraine there is no effective mechanism for assistance to displaced persons, who are chronically ill and seriously ill. This leads to the failure of prevention of cardiovascular, socially dangerous (including tuberculosis) and cancer diseases.

According to the data, which was presented by Elena Petryaeva at the roundtable, the number of doctors in the Luhansk region reduced by 7 times, and in Donetsk – by 4 times during the war in the East of Ukraine. Ambulatory and hospital network fell by 2-4 times in the region. Transport logistics of emergency medical care was completely disrupted due to the reduction of the number of health care facilities. The state of the medication’s availability is critical.

Among the 60 million refugees and displaced persons in the whole world, there are 2 million refugees and displaced persons from Donbas. The corresponding statistics was introduced by the representatives of the UN and the employees of the State Service for Emergency Situations and the State Migration Service of Ukraine at a press conference on the occasion of International Refugee Day.

Jean-Noel Vattervald, the acting head of the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Refugees in Ukraine operation, stated that in 2015 the number of people, who were forced to leave their homes, became the largest for recent years.
Wherein, Vattervald stressed the unique role of the public community, which helps internally displaced people to cope with the set of problems that surround them in the new environment. Vattervald added that the UN WFP (World Food Programme), along with the Cabinet and the Ministry of Social Policy are preparing the start of a campaign in order to increase tolerance to the internally displaced persons in Ukraine. Vattervald stated that the largest national television networks would be involved in it. External publicity will be provided in 7 regions, which host the the greatest number of displaced persons.

International assistance, evaluation of Donbas situation by international organizations

International organizations in partnership with civil society organizations continue to assist East of Ukraine and displaced persons from Donbas. Thus, last week the public organization “Caritas of Ukraine” has sent more than 285 tons of German and Polish humanitarian aid in Zaporozhye. The cargo includes a set of food and hygiene items for 6,800 IDPs from the German government and to 4,300 from Poland.

In addition, last week it became known that the Red Cross plans to grant displaced persons from ATO area credit card with the 6 thousand UAH. It was stated by Alla Khabarova, the Secretary General of the National Committee of the Red Cross Society. The pilot project is planned to start in Poltava region.

Meanwhile, last week the mission of the UNDP and Japanese Government “Economic and social restoring Donbas” operated actively in Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Experts examined the damaged objects of infrastructure and were consulting with local authorities in order to help with the restoration more efficient.

Special monitoring mission of the OSCE stated that their UAVs fixed movement of heavy weapons from the both sides of the demarcation line.

On the background of intensification of local hostilities, particularly in Marinka area, this information is a matter of concern. John Kerry, US Secretary of State, advised the parties of Donbas conflict to negotiate rather than to bombard each other. During the conversation with reporters at the State Department, Kerry say: “you can be locked up in a rabbit hole,” if we talk about who and what he was doing.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed its intention to hold a meeting of foreign ministers of “Norman Quartet” countries on June 23 in Paris. During the telephone conversation between the Foreign Ministers of Russia and France, the ministers discussed the latest steps in promoting a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.

In addition, ordinary negotiations on the settlement of the situation in Donbas were carried out in Donbas. Their participants appraised the meeting with restrained optimism. After the end of the trilateral meeting of the contact group, Heidi Tagliavini – the OSCE Special Representative – said that “there was progress but there was no breakthrough”. Representatives of the DNR and the LNR were more categorical. They claimed, “they expected for more.” “We have positive steps, but it is not enough in order to resolve the conflict and to consolidate the truce”. It was stated by Denis Pushilin, representative of DNR. This round of negotiations on the implementation of the Minsk Agreement was traditionally held in the closed mode.